Jimmy Gooch (speedway rider)

James Everard Gooch (16 November 1928 – 18 June 2011) was an international motorcycle speedway rider from England.^[1][2] He was capped by England and Great Britain.^[3]

Jimmy Gooch

Born	16 November 1928 Dagenham, East London, England
Died	18 June 2011 (aged 82) Chelmsford, Essex
Nationality	British (English)
Career history
1950–1955, 1956	Wembley Lions
1955	Swindon Robins
1956	Bradford Dukes
1957–1958	Ipswich Witches
1960–1961	New Cross Rangers
1962–1963	Norwich Stars
1964–1966	Oxford Cheetahs
1967–1968	Newport Wasps
1969–1970	Hackney Hawks
Individual honours
1965	Speedway World Championship finalist
Team honours
1951, 1952, 1953, 1964	National League Champion
1954, 1963, 1964	National Trophy Winner
1950, 1951, 1954	London Cup
1964	Britannia Shield

Speedway career

Gooch reached the final of the Speedway World Championship in the 1965 Individual Speedway World Championship.^[4] In 1966, he was runner up in the Australian Championship.^[5]

He rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1950 to 1970, riding for various clubs.^[6] Successes included winning the league championship four times and the London Cup three times with Wembley Lions.^[7][8]

He was capped by the England national speedway team ten times and Great Britain three times.^[9]

World final appearances

Individual World Championship

• 1965 – London, Wembley Stadium – 14th – 3pts

World Team Cup

• 1965 – Kempten (with Barry Briggs / Charlie Monk / Ken McKinlay / Nigel Boocock) – 3rd – 18pts (3)